Pokemon: A Mystical Journey
by Amatheyst
Summary: Crystal is traveling through the Hoenn region with her partner Trapinch, but the evil Team Magma seems to have other plans for her. When she's rescued by a handsome male trainer by the name of Mason, her journey takes a whole new turn. While traveling together, things become alarmingly worse as Magma seems dead set on using her for something huge. Can she rise to the challenge?
1. Ch 1 A Fateful Encounter

**Author's Note** :

 _Hello all my lovely readers! Ama-chan here! Just a quick_ **Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon.** _Okay! Now that that's out of the way...This story is about two OCs going on a journey through the Hoenn region, as Im sure you saw in the summary. Please keep in mind that it is based off the Omega Ruby game, however not every aspect of the game and its plot will be present in this story. Things will be quite different with a touch of the original game. Also, while the story mainly focuses on the OCs, there will be characters from the series, such as Nurse Joy. Anyway...I won't keep you any longer. I hope you enjoy!_

Ch. 1 A Fateful Encounter

"Stop! Stop right there!"

It was a cloudy day over the Petalburg Woods as a lone girl ran for her life through the trees, being chased by two Team Magma grunts. At her side, a little Trapinch ran with her, struggling to keep pace on its tiny legs. "Hang in there, Mystic. We're almost there!" The girl calls to it, trying to comfort the pokemon. Team Magma is catching up, and as the girl rounds a corner of bushes, she finds herself at a dead end. A large fence blocking off the boundaries of the forest stretches out before them, with sharp thorn bushes on their left and right. "No! We're trapped!"

"Hah! Not so fast! You can't run anymore." says a grunt as they approach, blocking the girl and her Trapinch's escape. She whirls to face them, a look of cold anger in her fierce blue eyes.

"How dare you. Chasing an innocent girl like this...What is your problem?" She glares at them and Mystic stands with her, its black eyes burning with rage. The Magma grunts smirk as they edge closer.

"Look. You can't get away. So how about you hand over your pokemon and we'll let you live. Sound like a deal?" asks a grunt, taking a step closer.

"Yeah! We need that Trapinch for our big plans!" says the other. The girl moves to stand protectively in front of Mystic.

"Never! I will never give up my partner and best friend! No matter what!" the girl shouts. Mystic moves beside her again, snapping its jaws furiously. The Magma grunts look at each other for a moment before nodding.

"Alright. You want to be foolish and resist. So be it! Take this!" The grunts call out their pokemon, one of them a Mightyena and the other one a Zubat. Mystic steps forward with its chin held high, ready to face them in battle.

"Mystic...Are you sure?" She asks her partner with a worried look. Mystic looks back at her with a nod then growls low at the oppenents.

"Mightyena, show them who's boss! Go!" At the grunt's call, it goes charging, snapping its fangs at Mystic. Mystic manages to move in time but not fast enough. The Zubat strikes with a powerful Wing Attack, knocking Mystic back into a tree.

"Mystic! Be careful! Go now and try to use Bite on that Zubat!" At her call, Mystic jumps forward, and manages to clamp down on the Zubat. It screeches in pain, struggling to break free. The Magma grunt calls out, and it uses Air Cutter to shake off Mystic to the ground. Mystic lands heavily but isn't paying attention. The Mightyena attacks with Ice Fang, grabbing the Trapinch fiercely. Mystic cries out in pain, suffering from the freezing bite. "Oh no! Mystic!" The girl cries as the pokemon flings Mystic to the ground. Zubat uses Leech Life to damage it more, while the Mightyena unleashes Iron Tail, slamming into the poor Trapinch. The blow is so powerful, it creates a dent in the earth, where Mystic lies unconscious. The girl races up to try and comfort her dear friend.

"Had enough yet? Your puny pokemon is no match for us! Give it up!" The first grunt yells. The girl can't get her Trapinch to move, she realizes if she doesn't, it's all over. Tears threaten to sting her eyes as she raises her head to the darkening sky.

"Help!! Please! Somebody help!!" She screams, hoping someone might be in the woods and hear her desperate cry. The Magma grunts move closer and she yells for help again. Somewhere nearby, a boy is walking along in the woods, carrying a backpack as he goes. He sighs, rather bored, and uses a hand to brush his black hair out of his forest green eyes. An Eevee sits on his shoulder, wearing a pink bell collar around its neck. Eevee's ears prick and it jumps down from him, looking worried in a direction of trees.

"Lily, what is it? What's wrong?" he asks, approching and reaching down to pat the pokemon's head. Just then, a faint cry sounds. Lily jumps up, heading for the call. "Huh? Wait!" The boy chases after her, keeping a close eye on his partner. As they near the source, the cry gets louder.

"No! Stop! Get away from me! H-help!" Lily charges forward through the bushes with her trainer following suit. The boy's eyes widen in shock at the scene. One of the Magma grunts is holding a girl down. The girl is covered in dust from struggling, her jeans torn slightly in places, her silver hair dirty, all the while her ice blue eyes locked on the other grunt. The second Magma is picking up the helpless Trapinch, looking triumphant. "Let us go!"

"Never. Your Trapinch will do wonders for our cause. While I'm sure the boss will be pleased to have a cute girl in his arms..." The grunt laughs darkly as she struggles. Suddenly the Eevee calls out and everyone turns to look. As soon as the captured girl sees Lily and her male trainer, her eyes glow with hope.

"P-please! You have to help me!" she says desperately. The boy nods, his gaze steeling.

"Lily. Let's take these brutes down. Now...Swift!" He calls, and his Eevee happily obeys. Lily unleashes a devastating Swift, sending both grunts flying. "Take Down! Now!" The Eevee charges into them, knocking them back harshly against the fence. They crack their heads against the wood, and slide to the forest floor, moaning. "Lily. Let's finish this." The grunts snap to attention, suddenly frightened by the strength.

"Bah...Whatever! We don't need that weak Trapinch anyway! Let's go!" One of them shouts out, panicked. The two scramble to their feet and race off, disappearing into the trees. The Eevee watches them go with defiance. The boy approaches the girl, his hand outstretched.

"Are you okay?" He asks with concern. She takes his hand gratefully, struggling to her feet. As she stands to face him, their eyes lock and for a long moment the two stare at each other. Despite all the dirt, the girl is beautiful. And to her, this boy who rescued her, couldn't be more handsome. The two of them both flush slightly and look away.

"Y-yes. You saved my life and my dear Mystic as well. Thank you." She turns to smile at him. "My name is Crystal."

"Nice to meet you. My name is Mason. And you're welcome." He returns her smile shyly. Lily walks up and calls happily to both of them. "How can I forget? This is my dear friend Lily." Crystal smiles down at the adorable Eevee.

"Hi there, Lily." She jumps up, realizing she must not keep her Trapinch in such critical condition. "Oh no! Mystic!" Racing over, she scoops the pokemon into her arms. "We have to help him!"


	2. Ch 2 Race For Time

**Ch. 2 Race For Time**

The trees of the Petalburg Woods seemed to blur past as Crystal ran, hurrying for Rustboro City. Her newfound friend, Mason, was racing alongside her, his Eevee perched firmly on his shoulder. Crystal huffed, exhausted from the attack by the two Team Magma grunts. The short lived battle seemed to take its toll on both her and Mystic. Her Trapinch was cradled against her chest, barely moving. Scratches and bite marks covered the poor pink pokemon. "Hang in there Mystic...Please..." She shook her head, trying to chase away the tears that threatened to fall. She didn't want to show weakness in front of Mason. Finally, what seemed like a lifetime of running, Crystal and Mason burst through the trees, stumbling out onto the smooth grass.

"We're nearly there now. Just a little further." Mason says as he looks around. There are a few trainers milling around on the route. Straight ahead there is a flower shop, with large plants growing all along the outside of it. A lovely lady in a green flowing dress is watering the flowers. When she looks up she waves at them. Crystal looks around, unable to waste time. She spots a large lake with clear blue water up ahead, reflecting the dark clouds in the sky. A storm from the south was approching fast, lightning flashing in the sky. Mason watches as the lady from the shop ducks inside to take cover, and the trainers start to scatter. "We have to hurry. That storm is getting closer by the minute."

"I know." Crystal replies, her voice tight. She sees a long bridge, stretching out over the lake. "There!" She breaks into a run, racing over the bridge.

"Wait up!" Mason follows behind, his Eevee gripping onto her trainer's black jacket which was flapping in the wind, open to a white tank top underneath. The tank barely concealed his toned muscle, and often caught the eyes of female trainers he faced. Now Mason kept his eyes locked on the back of Crystal's blue T-shirt, which was stained with dirt. Crystal ran over the bridge, the lights of Rustboro growing nearer by the moment.

"There! The city!" Crystal cries out happily. Just then, there's a loud crack of thunder as the clouds explode with a torrential downpour. It doesn't take long for the rain to soak the two as they run into the limits of the city. The streets are deserted as everyone shelters inside their cozy homes. Blazing lights of white and red signal the pokemon center just a little farther in. Crystal and Mason race over to it and nearly fall into the entryway as the glass doors slide open. Nurse Joy looks up with a jolt from behind the counter while a few fellow trainers look up from their seats. The two who just stumbled in are soaked through, water dripping all over the white tiled floor. There's another clap of thunder outside as the doors slide shut behind them. "Nurse Joy! Please help!" Crystal runs up to the counter.

"Yes! What can I do for you?" Nurse Joy asks as Crystal holds up her Trapinch. "Oh my! We must act immediately! Blissey!" Joy calls her assistant pokemon, and the Blissey hurries over.

"Bliss! Blissey!" Crystal carefully hands Mystic over to the pokemon and Blissey rushes back into the emergency room.

"Please wait here. We need to treat your Trapinch immediately." Nurse Joy tells Crystal.

"Will he be okay?" she asks, extremely worried. Nurse Joy shakes her head, unable to provide a definite answer.

"I dont know. But I promise you, we will do everything in our power." The nurse follows Blissey back into the room. Crystal slumps over to a bench in the center. Everything is quiet except for the raging storm outside.

"I should have never let him battle like that. He's not strong enough to take on two pokemon at once. This is all my fault..." Crystal buries her face into her hands. Mason sits beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder to try and comfort her.

"Hey...It's not your fault. You were just trying to protect your friend. It's Team Magma who is at fault." Crystal slowly looks up at him.

"You think so?" She asks. Mason nods and smiles at her, cheering her up.

"Dont worry. I'm sure Mystic will be just fine." Mason starts to tug at his jacket as Lily, the Eevee, jumps off onto the floor. She shakes out her brown fur, sending water droplets flying. "Man, we really got soaked, huh?" Mason takes off his backpack and slides his jacket off next, setting it on the bench beside him. Crystal finds herself staring at his chest as the white tank top sticks to Mason like glue. His skin is visible under the top, while water drips down from his jet black hair, falling onto his arms and neck. He looks back at Crystal from under thick lashes covered with sparkling water. "What is it?" he asks quietly.

"N-nothing!" Crystal replies, turning away quickly. She stays turned towards the counter where Joy was to hide the bright pink blush. Mason chuckles softly beside her.

"Eev?" Lily comes up to Crystal and nudges her leg. She reaches down to scratch Lily between the ears then picks her up, setting the Eevee down in her lap. For what feels like agonizing ages, Nurse Joy finally emerges from the room. Behind her, Blissey is pushing a small cart where Mystic lay sleeping. Crystal leaps up, rushing over to them.

"Mystic! Are you okay?!" She looks all over. All signs of the battle are gone, and he seems to be sleeping peacefully. Joy smiles.

"Not to worry. Your Trapinch has made a full recoveryHe just needs a lot of rest." Nurse Joy replies, letting Crystal gently pick Mystic up. She nuzzles the pokemon affectionately.

"Thank goodness...I was so worried." Crystal can't stop the tears this time as they stream down her dirty cheeks. She walks over to Mason and Lily, sitting on the bench. "He's okay!" Mason smiles as Lily jumps up and down happily.

"That's wonderful! I knew he would be okay. And look!" Mason points outside through the large glass windows. "The storm is clearing up." Sure enough, the clouds were dissipating, revealing a setting sun in the distance. Crystal gathered up Mystic in a blanket lent by Mason while Lily climbed back up onto his shoulder. The two walked side by side out of the center with Nurse Joy waving after them.

"Thank you! Be safe!" Crystal waved back as Mason looked around outside. The city was coming back to life after the terrible weather, street lamps giving the place a soft glow.

"So Crystal..." Mason began. But before he could even finish, a large explosion erupted from the Devon Corporation. People scatter through the streets, screaming as flames lick from the hole the explosion left behind, thick smoke rising into the evening air. "What the fuck was that?!" He suddenly clamped a hand over his mouth. "Sorry. I try not to curse in front of a lady." He looks at Crystal sheepishly. She shakes her head.

"Heh. Don't worry, it doesn't bother me at all. Right now, we need to find out what the hell is going on." The two of them race towards the large building, sirens wailing in the distance. _I only hope it's not what I think it is._


	3. Ch 3 Fire and Stone

Ch. 3 Fire and Stone

The flames were starting to spread further throughout the huge building as the Devon Corporation burned. Crystal looked up in stunned shock as people were running all over the place in a state of panic. A group of scientists emerged from the thick smoke, coughing heavily. Mason hurried over to help them. "What happened here?!" he asked, bewildered. One of the scientists coughed again before responding.

"It...Came out of...Of nowhere. Our labs...Destroyed..." Just then, the leader of the Rustboro Gym, Roxanne, appeared from across the street.

"You there! You need to evacuate at once! It isn't safe here!" she shouted as she started to help the scientists to the pokemon center. Their once white lab coats were now black with ash and soot. Mason turned to speak, but as he did, another explosion erupted above them. There was a large _crack!_ A huge chunk of stone came falling down.

"Look out!" Mason yelled as he dove and pushed Crystal out of the way, just in the nick of time. Crystal clutched Mystic closely to her body, protecting him from the shock. Lily cried out in fear, cowering against her trainer's neck. "That was too close. Lily, it's best if you return for now." His Eevee nodded as Mason returned her to the Luxury Ball she was caught in. Roxanne disappeared after the crash, getting the scientists to safety. Crystal slowly sat up, her eyes wide.

"You...You saved my life." Crystal whispered. But there was no time to celebrate as a troop of Team Magma grunts followed by one of their admins, emerged from a jagged hole in the building. It was easy to spot her as an admin based on her appearance. The way she held herself high and her uniform which was greatly different from the rest of the grunts. She had light purple hair with the same color eyes. The horns on her hood were yellow as well, and seemed to gleam in the blazing light of the fire.

"Hmm...Trainers..." She spoke, looking bored.

"Courtney? What's the hold up?" A man suddenly appeared behind her, adjusting his glasses. The man was tall with red hair slicked back and a red labcoat with the Magma emblems printed on it.

"Leader Maxie...Some trainers..." She replied. Crystal glared at them darkly. She just got through an attack earlier, and now Team Magma was here again, doing who knows what. She looked down at Mystic, still sleeping. Mason quickly leaned over to her, whispering urgently into her ear.

"Crystal. You should return your Trapinch so he doesn't get hurt anymore." But Crystal only shook her head.

"I can't. I never caught him in a poke ball." Mason's eyes widened as Maxie took a step closer, examining them.

"Hm. I thought I ordered my grunts to capture you. It seems they were quite incompetent. No matter. We will retrieve you later. For now, we have him." Maxie says as a man in a black tailored suit is dragged out. He is an older man with graying hair. The grunts are holding him captive with rope binding him and duct tape over his mouth. "With the Devon president in our hands, we will control the entire company."

"You...Bastards. Let him go!" Mason shouts, taking a step forward. He has a hand reached towards his backpack. Courtney steps in front of Maxie.

"Don't worry about this...I can handle them." She tells her leader. Maxie merely nods, and orders the rest of the grunts to get moving, dragging the president with them. "Go. Flareon." Courtney calls out her pokemon and it stands in front of her, looking defiantly at Mason. Crystal steps back, unable to join in the fray as she only owns her Trapinch, which still lay sleeping.

"I'll teach you to hurt these innocent people! Come on out, Zodiac!" Mason throws a Quick Ball, calling forth a Raichu. Its cheeks spark with electricity as it faces the Flareon. "Now! Thunderbolt!"

"Rai! Raaaiiii...Chuu!" Zodiac charges up the attack before letting loose a powerful bolt, traveling through the air to the Flareon.

"Flareon, dodge and use Flamethrower." The orange and yellow pokemon leaps aside, barely making it out of the way before breathing a blast of flames at Zodiac. The fast Raichu easily dodged the attack, looking eager for more. Crystal saw that Maxie was getting away with the president. With Mason distracted by the battle at hand, and with no other trainers around as they took cover from the blast, Crystal was running out of options. The police were taking far too long to reach Rustboro, and everyone else was taking shelter.

 _Crap! If I don't do something, Team Magma will get away with kidnapping him!_ Crystal thought to herself. She had to think of something quick. Looking around, it was clear to see Courtney was distracted and most of the grunts had already left ahead or were moving close behind Maxie. Seeing no other way, Crystal tucked Mystic behind a nearby bush, keeping him well hidden. "I'll be right back for you." she whispered. After gathering her courage, Crystal ran after Maxie, leaving Mason behind to deal with Courtney. "You won't get away!" Crystal charged forward, aiming to tackle the leader. Maxie was prepared and had a grunt grab her just as she got a grip on the tail end of his labcoat.

"Tsk, tsk. What a foolish girl you are. You're lucky you will be of such use to us. Otherwise I'd have my grunts toss you into the sea." Maxie says, looking down at her as she was held down by the powerful male grunt.

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm not some tool to be used! I'm a trainer and as such, I won't let you hurt the Devon president!" Crystal spat. The grunt gripped her arms tighter and she winced in pain. Maxie shook his head.

"You call yourself a trainer? Pathetic. You can't even stand up to one of my grunts. What a disgusting sight." Maxie reaches down and grabs her chin, forcefully twisting her face to the side. "Even though you're so weak, you are rather pretty..." Crystal becomes fearful. Mason wasn't going to save her this time. She was in the clutches of the Team Magma leader. What would he do to her? She closed her eyes, biting back the urge to cry. She would not give them the satisfaction. Just then, a shout sounded from somewhere above.

"Hey! Unhand her and the president immediately!" A rush of wind followed the shout as several blades made from air collided into the concrete around the group. The grunts scattered, trying to avoid the blows and in the process dropped Crystal along with the president. Despite all the confuion, Maxie swore loudly as he looked into the sky. Crystal looked up, blinking in surprise. A man with silver hair, light blue eyes, and a black suit complete with a red tie was sitting atop the silver back of a Skarmory. Its razor sharp red wings flapped furiously again, sending another wave of air blades. Maxie sidestepped easily, glaring daggers at the man.

"You have to show up at the most inappropriate times. Damn you...This isn't over!" Maxie yells to him. He then calls for the rest of Team Magma to retreat. Courtney quickly calls back her Flareon and abandons the battle as she rushes to follow her leader. "Crystal...I look forward to meeting you again." Maxie says to her with a dark smile as he, along with the rest of Magma race off. Courtney uses a smoke bomb to cover them from being followed. Crystal and the president start coughing immediately as the smoke clouds their senses and chokes their lungs.

"Hang on!" The male in the sky says. He sails down, his Skarmory landing gently onto the ground. With a wave of his hand, the Skarmory flaps its wings a bit, clearing away the smoke. As the smoke disappears, the man reaches and helps up the president. "Are you okay? It looks like I barely made it in time." He says as he walks over and helps Crystal to her feet. "Sorry about not being here sooner. I was in Dewford Town when I recieved word. I flew here as fast as I could." After helping her up, he moves over and gently removes the tape from the president's mouth. He then moves to untying the ropes that bound him. Crystal rubbed her sore arms.

"Thank you for rescuing us...Who are you?" she asks curiously as the ropes fell away from the president.

"Oh, where are my manners? My name is Steven." he replies before examining the president. "Father...Are you okay?" Crystal's eyes went wide. Steven's father was the Devon Corps. president?

"Yes...I'm quite alright, thanks to that girl there. She was very brave, charging in and trying to stop Team Magma from capturing me." The president said, beaming at her. Steven looked over at her, a curious gleam in his eye. Crystal looked over to see Mason running towards them with his Raichu beside him.

"Crystal! Thank Arceus you're safe!" He tackled her into a hug and she winced again.

"Easy there...My arms hurt from where Team Magma held me. Don't worry though. Steven saved us!" Crystal replied with a smile towards the man. Steven bowed slightly with polite.

"It was my pleasure." He turned to his Skarmory which was standing nearby, keeping an eye out. "Skarmory, thank you for your help. Please return." As the pokemon disappeared into its ball, Mason called back Zodiac into his Quick Ball, thanking him as well.

"My Devon Corporation..." The president spoke as he looked at the smoke rising high into the sky from the shattered remains of the building. Crystal started running towards it, wanting to retrieve Mystic as soon as possible. The others followed right behind her. Steven fell back slightly as he helped his father who was limping. When they arrived at the building, the fire fighters had finally made it and were combating the flames with hoses and water type pokemon. Crystal quickly ducked back to the bush where Mystic was sleeping soundly. She protectively held the little bundle. As she moved to stand by Mason, they all watched as the fire slowly died. Steven shook his head in disgust.

"Team Magma did this...They must be stopped."


	4. Ch 4 The President's Request

**Ch. 4 The President's Request**

After quite some time, firefighters finally quenched the raging flames that Magma had caused from the explosion. All that was left was a crumbled pile of stone and ashes. The president of Devon buried his face in his hands, mourning the loss of all his hard work. Moments later, Roxanne appeared, her normally pristine clothing covered in soot.

"Mr. President. Steven. I'm so glad to see you're both safe. We were able to evacuate everyone before the building collapsed." Crystal watches as she moves closer to Steven. She doesn't miss the small blush as Roxanne looks away when Steven turns to her.

"We really appreciate everything you've done. Thank you." he says with a kind smile. Roxanne appears to grow even pinker. Mason yawns hugely, exhausted from the long day. Steven notices and approches him. "Of course I must also thank you and Crystal here. If not for your valiant efforts, Team Magma might have gotten away with kidnapping my father." He looks up to the sky, seeing that the sun had already set, and everything was growing darker by the moment. Rustboro's street lamps glowed like beacons against the inky sky. "Hm...It's getting rather late. And I know everyone is tired." Steven looks at both Crystal, then Mason. "I can tell you're not from around here. As a show of my gratitude, I will pay for your stay at Rustboro Hotel. You both look like you could use a good rest."

Crystal looks down at Mystic sleeping in her arms. "Yes, please." she says. About thirty minutes later, Crystal and Mason are standing in the lobby of a huge, fancy hotel. The floor tiles shine in the light of the grand chandelier hanging in the center of the room. All sorts of rock decor and beautiful statues are placed tastefully throughout. Steven walks up to the clerk at the desk, a small man with a balding head and large spectacles.

"Good evening. I'd like to get two rooms for these kind people please. I will be paying for their stay." Steven says to the clerk. The man clears his throat as he shuffles through a stack of paperwork.

"Erm...Yes. Good evening, Mr. Stone. Allow me to check." After a few minutes of sifting through papers and a large log book that keeps track of guests, the man looks up at Steven, worry etched into his tired features. "I'm terribly sorry...We only have one room available. Had you booked sooner..." Mason steps in, cutting him off.

"That's perfectly fine. We will take one room. I know it's rather late, so we don't want to trouble you." Mason assures him. The clerk looks relieved while Crystal stands there with wide eyes, mouth slightly agape. Even Steven looks rather surprised.

"You want to share a room with a lady?" he asks. Now Crystal blushes furiously as Steven had pointed it out. Only couples would share a room together. For her and Mason to share a room, seemed rather scandalous, even though she knew he would never do anything like that. Mason shrugs, seeming unaffected.

"It's okay. There's two beds in the room, aren't there?" Mason asks, looking at the desk clerk. The man nods, wiping at his sweating forehead with a white cloth.

"Yes. Each room has two beds." he replies. Mason turns back to Steven.

"See? No problem. We'll each get our own bed."

"But..." Steven begins. Mason crosses his arms, looking annoyed. He was exhausted, and certainly not in the mood to argue.

"Look...We really appreciate you paying for us, but we don't have any other options. The Pokemon Center is full of people recovering from the disaster. As long as Crystal is okay with it, we'll take the room." This seems to appease Steven as he looks at Crystal expectantly. She slowly nods, feeling very tired herself. Between the two attacks from Magma today, she was ready to collapse into a nice bed. Her home was all the way in Littleroot Town, much too far to walk to, and she wasn't feeling ready to leave Rustboro yet.

"It'll be okay. Let's just take the room." she replies, rocking back and forth on her feet to try and stay awake. Steven nods, turning back to the clerk as he digs out his wallet. He hands the man a decent sum of money. The clerk takes it gratefully, glad that an agreement was made.

"Thank you. Here is your room key. Your room is 415. You can take the elevator to reach the fourth floor. Please enjoy your stay." The clerk says, reaching a hand out to give the key to Mason. Mason takes the key and starts heading to the elevators. Steven lightly touches his shoulder.

"Hold on. I know it's much too late today so...I would like to speak with you both tomorrow whenever you're awake and ready. I will be staying with my father at his home to make sure he'll be okay." Steven digs through a pocket in his expensive suit, pulling out a slip of folded paper. He gives it to Mason. "Here's the address. Please come. I would like to speak about Team Magma." Crystal looks at Steven gratefully.

"Thank you. For all the help and paying for our stay." she says sleepily. He smiles and bows before turning to leave through the huge swinging doors of the hotel.

"You're welcome. Until tomorrow then. I bid you good night." Crystal watches as he walks outside. Roxanne is waiting for him and the two start walking off together, talking. She feels a slight pang of jealousy. _Must be nice being so close to a handsome man like him..._ Finally she reaches the elevator and Mason pushes the button for the fourth floor. The two stand there in silence for a long moment.

"So...What do you think? Should we go and meet Steven tomorrow?" Mason asks her.

"I think we should. Not only did he save me and pay for our room here, but he also wants to talk about Team Magma. This might be a great opportunity to learn about them. If Steven has information on Magma, we should definitely hear it." Even through her exhaustion, Crystal's mind was working at full throttle. She was pouring over the events of the day, lingering especially on Maxie's chilling words. _'You're lucky you will be of such use to us. Otherwise I'd have my grunts toss you into the sea.'_ What did he mean? What use could Crystal, an ordinary pokemon trainer, be to an insane group of people as Team Magma? She shook her head. None of it made any sense.

"Crystal?" She jumps slightly, startled as Mason stands face to face with her, waving his hand in front of her eyes. She snaps out of her stupor.

"Ah...Sorry! I was kind of lost in thought there...What was that?" she asks sheepishly. Mason walks through the elevator doors, holding them open for her.

"I said, why do you want to know so much about Team Magma? You've already had two close encounters with them. We should be staying away from them." he says as they leave the elevator and walk along the hallway of the fourth floor. "They're dangerous and absolutely crazy." Once they reach the room, Mason slides the key through the lock, clicking it open. Together, the two of them step into a large, luxurious room. As promised, there are two beds in the room, both a queen size. A flat screen tv is mounted into the wall above a long dresser made of dark wood. There is a small kitchen area not too far from the tv, with a small table, microwave, a mini fridge, and a little sink. The bathroom is huge however. There is a large tub and next to it, a stand up shower separated by a square of raised up floor to keep water from spilling out. A large mirror spans the wall over the vanity. Everything is clean and pristine.

"Whoa...They really outdo themselves." Crystal breathes, amazed at the sight. She walks over to the bed closest to the sliding glass doors leading out onto the balcony. Carefully, she lays her Trapinch down on the soft bed. Mason takes this opportunity to call back out his Eevee. Lily appears on the plush carpet, looking around curiously.

"Eev?" Lily starts to explore the room, sniffing. Mason sits down on the other bed, tossing his backpack to the floor. He lets out a long sigh, running his fingers through his black hair.

"Don't worry, Lily. We're safe now. A man called Steven has let us stay here for the night to rest." Mason says. Lily seems to be satisfied by this and leaps onto the bed with Mason, nudging him. He reaches down to pat her head. Crystal sits on her bed, lightly stroking Mystic's head to soothe him as he sleeps. "You gonna answer my question?"

"About what?"

"Team Magma. Why do you want info on them?"

"Oh. Right. Sorry, I got a little distracted." Crystal replies. She looks at Mason, feeling a bit nervous. Was it okay to tell him about this? It's not like she had anyone else to confide in. Better to tell him rather than a complete stranger. "Well...It seems...That Team Magma wants me. I heard it from their leader myself. Maxie says that Magma plans to use me for something." She looks down as she speaks quietly, her hands clapsed together.

"They want to use you for something? What do they want to use you for?" Even Mason sounds thoroughly confused.

"That's just it. I have no idea. I never knew Team Magma even existed until they attacked me today. I was just walking along in Petalburg Woods with my Trapinch, when they came out of nowhere and started chasing me." She lets out a sigh, pushing some of her silver hair from her face. She reaches over to turn on a lamp. Mason follows suit with his. "I'm hoping, that if we can learn something about Magma from Steven, maybe we can find out what they want with me."

"I see...That's why. Okay then. We'll definitely go and meet with Steven tomorrow then."

"Thank you." Crystal smiles sadly at him.

"You're welcome."

"Mason..."

"Yes?" He looks over at her, curiosity burning in his forest green eyes.

"You do realize, that if Team Magma really is after me, I'm going to be put in many dangerous situations. Right?"

"I know."

"You're not bothered by that at all?" she asks, feeling bewildered. "Mason...Why are you sticking around with me anyway? You could have easily just left at any time. I'm not forcing you to stay with me."

"I know. You're not forcing me to stay. I'm here because I want to be here. That's what I was trying to tell you earlier outside of the Pokemon Center before the explosion. I...Want to travel with you. I want to learn and grow with you." Mason looks away now, rubbing the back of his neck. Crystal blushes. She couldn't believe he actually wanted to stay with her. _Is...He blushing?_ She wonders but can't tell as he's turned away. "A-anyway...I'm gonna take a shower." He stands abruptly, grabs his bag, and disappears into the bathroom. Lily lets out a huge yawn, then scratches an ear with a hind paw, her bell collar tinkling. She then settles into the bed to rest. Crystal wonders why Mason left so suddenly. But she was far too tired to wonder for long. After pulling back the blankets, she snuggles down into the warmth, careful not to disturb Mystic laying at the foot of the bed. Moments later, and she's fast asleep. Mason eventually emerges from the bathroom, wearing a loose black t-shirt and dark jeans that hang low on his hips. He looks over to see Crystal fast asleep, her face looking completely peaceful. He finds himself smiling slightly then shakes his head. _Don't be an idiot, Mason._

He lays down under the covers, causing Lily to stir. The Eevee pads over to snuggle up with him and together they fall asleep.

 _Everything is dark. I can feel an intense heat from somewhere but I can't tell. Just barely grazing the rock walls of the cavern I stand in causes my fingers to burn. There is a large roar from something up ahead. It's so powerful that the ground shakes beneath my feet. I stumble forward, trying to find out where the roar came from. A small stone causes me to trip and fall through a hole. I collapse onto another hard rock floor, coughing in pain. I struggle to my feet, feeling dizzy. I look around to find myself in a huge cavern with a lake of lava. Something huge with glowing eyes stands in the lava, and roars again. I start to back away when I notice something else. A small, crumpled form lays before the fiery lake. Who is that? Just then the lava erupts as the creature moves, filling the cavern fast. Panic rises within me, forgetting about the person as I run for my life. But I can't escape fast enough. I can't I can't I can't. The heat is suffocating me. It's so hot...I'm going to die!_

Mason wakes with a start, sitting up swiftly in bed, his breathing rapid and his heart pounding wildly. Sunshine pours in through the curtains covering the sliding glass doors. He rubs his eyes, trying to calm himself. _It's okay...It was just a dream. I'm safe._ But it felt so real. There was a cold sweat across his skin, causing his clothes to stick to him. Mason throws back the covers in an attempt to cool himself. Lily complains as the blankets fall over her, waking her.

"Sorry, Lily." Mason apologizes to her then looks over to Crystal's bed. She's still fast asleep, her lashes feathered gently against soft cheeks, her silver hair splayed out around her pillow. Mason drags himself away, trying not to stare. There's a strange muffled sound coming from the bathroom. "What the?" He walks into the bathroom and flicks on the light. Several contents from his bag are scattered about the tiled floor. A pink shape is half buried in his backpack. Mason blinks, surprised as the pink pokemon wriggles itself free from the bag, several berries clamped in its jaws. Mystic the Trapinch happily noms on the berries, unnoticing until Mason clears his throat.

Mystic jumps, startled before looking up at him. "Mrrg?" Mystic turns back to the bag, eager for more food but Mason steps in and snatches it up before he has a chance.

"Oh no. You've had enough, mister." He looks down sternly at him. Lily, curious by all the noise, comes into the bathroom, ears pricked and eyes alert.

"Eevee?" She sees the mess on the floor, the berry juice dripping down Mystic's face, and her unhappy trainer. She puts two and two together, starting to growl. Her fur bristles, her brown tail all fluffed up. She begins to scold Mystic for his actions. "Eev! Eev Eevee ve! Eevee!" Mystic turns his head away defiantly and starts to walk past Lily. "Eev? Eevee!" Lily stamps her paw, angry. Now Mystic growls and turns to chomp his jaws down on Lily's tail. Lily cries out, jumping around frantically.

"Hey, hey! Stop that...You guys need to get along!" Mason says as he tries to separate the two. Crystal appears in the doorway, blue eyes wide, her hair all messed up.

"What's going on?!" She sees Mystic and Lily tusseling on the floor and walks up to them. "Mystic! Stop that right now!" Mystic stops immediately, releasing his grip on the poor Eevee. Lily stumbles away back to Mason, growling furiously. Crystal reaches down to pick up her Trapinch, giving him a look that makes him bow his head. "I'm so sorry about that...He's not normally aggressive. Is Lily okay?" she asks Mason. He checks Lily's tail for injuries before picking her up.

"Yes, she's okay. No worries." he smiles a bit. Crystal looks relieved.

"Thank goodness. What happened here anyway?" She looks around at the scattered mess. Clothes strewn over the floor, a few poke balls, medical supplies such as potions, and a small picture frame with a photo of a woman smiling and ruffling a little boy's hair. Mason sets Lily down and she scampers off back into the room. He starts to pick up the items.

"Mystic here decided to have himself a little snack. He got into my stash of berries in my backpack. Lily here must have been angry because of that and that's when the fight started. Sorry to wake you." He scratches his head, gathering everything, then taking them to his bed. Crystal shakes her head.

"It's alright. I needed to get up anyway." She looks down at Mystic in her arms who grins back at her, berry juice clinging to his face. "Well, well. I'm very glad to see you back to your usual self. You had me very worried there for a while." Crystal takes a hand towel then runs the edge of it under the faucet. She dabs the wet towel to Mystic's face in order to clean him. The Trapinch starts to struggle and complain. "Hush. You know better. No more stealing food for you," she scolds. After cleaning him off, she walks into the bedroom and sets Mystic down on her bed. He jumps up and down, full of energy. Crystal looks ragged, her clothes still covered in dirt stains along with being all rumpled. "Sorry...I know I look like shit." Mason chuckles a bit.

"Nah, you're fine. Why don't you take a shower and change? I'll cook us up some breakfast."

"I can't change. These are the only clothes I have. I was just going for a walk. So I wasn't prepared for all of yesterday." She looks down. "I'm sorry. All of my things are back at home in Littleroot."

"That's okay. Why don't you just borrow some of my clothes until we reach your home? We can head for Littleroot Town after we talk to Steven." Crystal looks at Mason with surprise.

"Are...Are you sure?"

"Yeah. They'll be loose on you, but it's better than nothing." Mason tosses a pair of basketball shorts and a plain blue shirt to her. She catches it and takes it with her to the bathroom.

"Thank you." Crystal disappears into the bathroom, her face flushed slightly pink.

Mason and Crystal leave the Rustboro Hotel together, Lily riding on top of Mason's head, while Mystic stays comfortably in Crystal's arms. A fresh wave of air and sunshine hits them as they step out, greeted by a bustling city. Everyone appears to be in high spirits today, despite yesterday's incident. However there are several police officers around, constantly keeping a lookout. It's no surprise as they just suffered a terrible attack from Magma, and were unable to reach Rustboro in time. Crystal and Mason were feeling much better. After her shower, they chowed down on a salad of mixed greens and berries while their partners enjoyed some pokemon food. The clothes Mason gave her were loose just as he said, but she was just happy to be in some clean ones. They gathered their things, returned the room key, and were now on their way to Steven. Mason read the address carefully as they traveled, occasionally stopping to ask for directions. Finally they arrived at the correct place. A large mansion stood before them, decorated lavishly with statues and carefully trimmed hedges. Crystal rang the doorbell, feeling nervous.

"You really think we'll be able to learn about Team Magma?" she asks. Mason shrugs.

"I don't know. It's worth a shot," he replies. Moments later, the door swings open to reveal Steven, dressed in another perfectly tailored suit. His whole face lights up as he sees them.

"You both made it! I'm so glad. Please, come in." Steven bows as he steps aside to hold the door open for them. The two step inside, gawking at the foyer. Everything was so fancy and expensive looking. Steven shuts the door and strides toward an adjacent hallway. "I appreciate you both coming. Normally I would meet you at the Devon building, but since it's destroyed, well...You know." Steven gestures to follow him. "This way. My father is waiting for you in the drawing room." They follow him silently to a pair of double doors. He swings them open to a large room full of plush couches, chairs, and a large fireplace. The Devon president is sitting in a recliner by a window, drinking a cup of coffee while absentmindedly scanning a newspaper. He looks up at everyone's arrival then stands to greet them.

"Ah...Welcome! I have been waiting for you. Please make yourselves at home. I'm ever so grateful for you saving me. Had you not battled against those brutes, I wouldn't be here now." The president walks over, shaking both their hands. He waves a hand to one of the couches, and Crystal moves over to sit on one. Mason sits beside her while Steven takes up a chair by his father. "I'm sure my son has told you we wish to speak with you. Team Magma has been causing a lot of trouble recently, and their attack yesterday has been the most devastating. So much research and materials lost...It will take quite some time to rebuild everything. And even so, we may never recover the data we lost." The president shakes his head as he sits back down, remorse clear in his features. "These are difficult and dangerous times. No one is safe anymore. Team Magma has become a major danger, and I refuse to let anyone else suffer at their hands. Not under my watch. That is why..." He looks both Crystal and Mason in the eye. "I have a very important request for you. You are young and talented trainers. Granted Crystal will need some work on her skill, no offense to you my dear." Crystal shakes her head to show no offence taken. "My request...Would you be willing to work with my son Steven, and stop Team Magma? Before they can hurt anyone else. I know what I'm asking is extremely dangerous, and you can decline if you wish. But I see great strength in both of you. And I believe that together, you can stop them. What do you say? Will you honor my request?"


End file.
